AFRICA. 135 
qiiamted with this euphorbia. According to 
hail, its juice is mod virulent wbea the plane 
is ill flower, which was the cafe at prefent, 
and then it is that the favages lay up rheir ftcre 
of it. To co!le£l it they make Uttle iaciiions 
ia the plant, from which it flows out into par- 
ticular velTcls made for the purpofe of receiv- 
ing it. At fiift its colour is white and milky, 
but it fooii becomes brown, and thickens into 
the confluence of an elefluary, the dtleterious 
powers of which, in proportion as it infpifrates, 
are concentrated and increafeJ. 
With this mortal juice the hunters impreg- 
nate their arrows. Experience having taught 
them that a common arrow is feldom fuHicient 
to kill any of the larger forts of game, they 
have invented this mode of flopping it quickly 
in its flight, by congealing it^ , blood ihrough 
the fpeedy and infallible means of a fubtila 
polfon. To effect the death of the animal, it 
is neceflary that the venom reach the blood, 
and mingle with it : yer, inconceivable as it 
may be, the animal, though polfoned, is not 
the lefs whoiefome food, as I have obferved 
elfewhere. 
The arrow is headed with a piece of bone 
K 4 well 
